Individual and Group Counselling (5 ECTS)

Objective

The student

• is familiar with the basic principles of individual counselling and can apply them in various client situations
• is able to use interaction and counselling methods in dialogical individual and group counselling
• can utilise digital tools in guidance situations and understands the opportunities and challenges of digital counselling methods
• develops their own counselling skills by reflecting on their own guidance experiences
• can analyse group dynamics in counselling situations and use various methods to support this.

Content

Basics of individual counselling: interaction, motivation and support skills

Basics of group facilitation: group dynamics, roles and group processes

Digital guidance: digital tools, online guidance and interaction skills

• Ethical principles of guidance and interaction

• Dialogical encounter

• Practical exercises in individual, group and community counselling with different target groups

• Simple Finnish and English vocabulary and expressions used in social services guidance work with different client groups

Location and time

20.10.2025 12.30 - 15.45 MPA2019 orientation to the course (Anu Pellinen +)
23.10.2025 09.00 - 11.45 MPA2019 Lecture (Anu Pellinen)
28.10.2025 09.00 - 11.45 MPA4010 Lecture and practices (Anu Pellinen)
28.10.2025 12.45 - 16.00 MPB5010 Team work (Anu Pellinen)
31.10.2025 12.45 - 16.00 MPA2019 (other teacher)
04.11.2025 08.30 - 11.45 MPA2019 Finnish support (Eveliina Korpela)
04.11.2025 12.45 - 16.00 MPA2019 (other teacher)
06.11.2025 12.45 - 16.00 MPA3018 (other teacher)
11.11.2025 09.00 - 11.45 MPA2019 (other teacher)
12.11.2025 08.30 - 11.45 MPA2019 Finnish support (Eveliina Korpela)
14.11.2025 09.00 - 11.45 MPA2019 (Anu Pellinen)
18.11.2025 09.00 - 16.00 Group counselling visit
21.11.2025 12.45 - 16.00 MPA2019 Visit reflections
25.11.2025 08.30 - 11.45 MPA2019 Finnish support (Eveliina Korpela)
27.11.2025 09.00 - 16.00 Group counselling visit
28.11.2025 09.00 - 11.45 MPA4010 Visit reflections
02.12.2025 12.30 - 14.00 MPA2019 Finnish support (Eveliina Korpela)
08.12.2025 09.00 - 11.45 MPA6012 Presentations
08.12.2025 12.45 - 16.00 MPA6012 Presentations
09.12.2025 12.45 - 14.00 MPB6005 Finnish support (Eveliina Korpela)
16.12.2025 12.30 - 14.00 MPB6005 Finnish support (Eveliina Korpela)

Materials

McLeod, J & Mcleod J (2011). Counselling Skills, 2nd ed. (ebook)
Other material shared in the orientation and in Moodle.

Teaching methods

Lectures,
group discussions,
flipped learning (reading reflections),
learning diary,
activating assignments
group method workshops,
practical facilitation exercices with client groups,
final seminar presentations

Employer connections

Socio-pedagogical community work at Myllypuro urban neighborhood.
Collaboration with local primary, secondary and upper secondary schools and vocational training center, as well as with other organisations.
Preparation for Finnish Institute for Health and welfare funding application; informal data gathering and networking togehter with children, youth and teachers & councellors.

Student workload

5 credits = 136 hrs of student´s work

Further information

The course includes Sosiaalialan suomi (Finnish for Social Services) meetings, which Finnish language learners attend as part of this course.

Evaluation scale

0-5

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

Framework of assessment is attached in the curriculum's description.

Assessment criteria, approved/failed

Framework of assessment is attached in the curriculum's description.

Assessment methods and criteria

INDIVIDUAL COUNCELLING 50%

Learning Tasks and Assessment 20%
Readings: Article or chapter reflections as assigned
Self-Assessment of Listening Skills

Learning Diary: (30%)
A Learning Diary focusing on the student´s own reflections about communication, counselling and guidance, dialogue, its practices and its possibilities in different contexts of social pedagogical work.

GROUP COUNSELLING 50%

Assignments at OMA (passed)

Final presentation (50 %):

ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION
Attendance in classes is 80% minimum. The grade will be lowered by 1 level for unreplaced absences. Assessment of class participation is ongoing. Teams collect a list of individual working hours (min. 48 hrs). This effects on an individual credit, if less than 40 hrs of team work or absences.